Section 1:

217790 53

Black Bear Education Trunk

Curriculum Guide

Revised: February 2017

54

Table of Contents

6HŃPLRQ 1 %OMŃN %HMU (ŃRORJ\"""""""""""""""""""""""SJ 1

Black Bear Quick Facts

Black Bear Taxonomy

Black Bear Fact Sheet

Black Bear Predator-Prey Relationships

Black Bear Adaptations

Black Bear Tracks, Scat, and Sign

Glossary

Section 2: Black Bear Management""""""""""""""""""""BBpg 19

Black Bear Management Timeline

Black Bear Management History

Black Bear Management Today

Section 3: Black Bear Lesson Plans""""""""""""""""""""BBpg 27

What Bear Goes Where? ² K-3rd

Animals in Winter- K-3rd

Eat Like a Bear- K-3rd

Bearly Born- 4-7th

Tracks- 4-8th

How Many Bears Can Live in the Forest? 6-8th

Sleepy Bear- 4-12th

Where Were You When- 7-12th

Section 4: $GGLPLRQMO $ŃPLYLPLHV""""""""""""""""""""""SJ D3

Black Bear Crossword

Black Bear Cub Double Puzzle

Black Bear Menu Word Search

Blubber Bag

Sing-Along: Bear is Sleeping

Sing-Along: Bear Went Over the Mountain

Black Bear Mask by Zoo New England

Make a Black Bear Den

Black Bear PowerPoint w/ Slide notes

Larry Hogan, Governor; Mark Belton, DNR Secretary

dnr.maryland.gov; 410-260-8540; Toll Free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR, ext.8540

The facilities and services of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are available to all without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin or physical or mental disability.

This document is available in an alternative format upon request from a qualified individual with a disability.

55

Section 1:

Black Bear Ecology

56

Black Bear Quick Facts

There are 8 different species of bears worldwide. The black bear is the only species found in Maryland. Black bears occupy 0MU\OMQG·V RHVPHUQ ŃRXQPLHs (Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and

Washington).

There are an estimated 900,000 black bears in North America with approximately

2,000 adult bears living in Maryland.

Adult male bears are called boars while females are called sows. Juvenile bears are called cubs. Not all black bears are black. Some black bears may be brown or cinnamon in color and/or blond. Some black bears also have white patches of hair. The vast majority of bears in Maryland are black. Black bears are generally solitary except for sows caring for their young. Adult females have an average home range of about 10 square miles, while adult males can cover 25 square miles or more. Young bears striking out on their own can travel 150-200 miles as they search for a territory of their own. $ PMOH·V ORPH UMQJH may overlap with several female home ranges. Black bears are omnivores. Adults eat acorns and other nuts, leaves, buds, seeds, fruits, carrion, and insects. Black bears may spend up to 20 hours per day feeding before going into hibernation. During this time, they can eat up to 20,000 calories per day! During hibernation, bears do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. They can drop their heart rate to 8-21 beats per minute and can reduce blood flow by 45% or more. Black bears breed in June and July in Maryland. Females have delayed implantation which means the embryo will not implant in the uterus after fertilization. The implantation does not occur until November in black bears. Once bred, a sow may give birth to 1-5 cubs. The cubs are typically born in January while the sow is hibernating.

Newborn cubs weigh between ½ to 1 pound.

$ RLOG NOMŃN NHMU·V MYHUMJH OLIHVSMQ LV MNRXP 20 \HMUV NXP LQGLYLGXMO NHMUV OMYH been documented living more than 30 years. Bears can be aged by counting the number of rings in the cross section of a tooth root. 57

Black Bear Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identification, naming and classification of living organisms. Taxonomy uses a hierarchal structure that classifies organisms from very broad categories to very specific categories. In terms of scientific classification, the broadest categories are Kingdoms while the most specific ones are Species and Subspecies. The following information details the taxonomic classification of the black bear.

Kingdom-Animalia

Phylum-Chordata

Class- Mammalia

Order- Carnivora

Family- Ursidae

Subfamily- Ursinae

Genus- Ursus

Species-americanus

Over 270 species make up the Order Carnivora. Carnivores are found throughout the world, and despite their name, they have a diverse diet. Most members of Carnivora 53

Black Bear Education Trunk

Curriculum Guide

Revised: February 2017

54

Table of Contents

6HŃPLRQ 1 %OMŃN %HMU (ŃRORJ\"""""""""""""""""""""""SJ 1

Black Bear Quick Facts

Black Bear Taxonomy

Black Bear Fact Sheet

Black Bear Predator-Prey Relationships

Black Bear Adaptations

Black Bear Tracks, Scat, and Sign

Glossary

Section 2: Black Bear Management""""""""""""""""""""BBpg 19

Black Bear Management Timeline

Black Bear Management History

Black Bear Management Today

Section 3: Black Bear Lesson Plans""""""""""""""""""""BBpg 27

What Bear Goes Where? ² K-3rd

Animals in Winter- K-3rd

Eat Like a Bear- K-3rd

Bearly Born- 4-7th

Tracks- 4-8th

How Many Bears Can Live in the Forest? 6-8th

Sleepy Bear- 4-12th

Where Were You When- 7-12th

Section 4: $GGLPLRQMO $ŃPLYLPLHV""""""""""""""""""""""SJ D3

Black Bear Crossword

Black Bear Cub Double Puzzle

Black Bear Menu Word Search

Blubber Bag

Sing-Along: Bear is Sleeping

Sing-Along: Bear Went Over the Mountain

Black Bear Mask by Zoo New England

Make a Black Bear Den

Black Bear PowerPoint w/ Slide notes

Larry Hogan, Governor; Mark Belton, DNR Secretary

dnr.maryland.gov; 410-260-8540; Toll Free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR, ext.8540

The facilities and services of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are available to all without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin or physical or mental disability.

This document is available in an alternative format upon request from a qualified individual with a disability.

55

Section 1:

Black Bear Ecology

56

Black Bear Quick Facts

There are 8 different species of bears worldwide. The black bear is the only species found in Maryland. Black bears occupy 0MU\OMQG·V RHVPHUQ ŃRXQPLHs (Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and

Washington).

There are an estimated 900,000 black bears in North America with approximately

2,000 adult bears living in Maryland.

Adult male bears are called boars while females are called sows. Juvenile bears are called cubs. Not all black bears are black. Some black bears may be brown or cinnamon in color and/or blond. Some black bears also have white patches of hair. The vast majority of bears in Maryland are black. Black bears are generally solitary except for sows caring for their young. Adult females have an average home range of about 10 square miles, while adult males can cover 25 square miles or more. Young bears striking out on their own can travel 150-200 miles as they search for a territory of their own. $ PMOH·V ORPH UMQJH may overlap with several female home ranges. Black bears are omnivores. Adults eat acorns and other nuts, leaves, buds, seeds, fruits, carrion, and insects. Black bears may spend up to 20 hours per day feeding before going into hibernation. During this time, they can eat up to 20,000 calories per day! During hibernation, bears do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. They can drop their heart rate to 8-21 beats per minute and can reduce blood flow by 45% or more. Black bears breed in June and July in Maryland. Females have delayed implantation which means the embryo will not implant in the uterus after fertilization. The implantation does not occur until November in black bears. Once bred, a sow may give birth to 1-5 cubs. The cubs are typically born in January while the sow is hibernating.

Newborn cubs weigh between ½ to 1 pound.

$ RLOG NOMŃN NHMU·V MYHUMJH OLIHVSMQ LV MNRXP 20 \HMUV NXP LQGLYLGXMO NHMUV OMYH been documented living more than 30 years. Bears can be aged by counting the number of rings in the cross section of a tooth root. 57

Black Bear Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identification, naming and classification of living organisms. Taxonomy uses a hierarchal structure that classifies organisms from very broad categories to very specific categories. In terms of scientific classification, the broadest categories are Kingdoms while the most specific ones are Species and Subspecies. The following information details the taxonomic classification of the black bear.

Kingdom-Animalia

Phylum-Chordata

Class- Mammalia

Order- Carnivora

Family- Ursidae

Subfamily- Ursinae

Genus- Ursus

Species-americanus

Over 270 species make up the Order Carnivora. Carnivores are found throughout the world, and despite their name, they have a diverse diet. Most members of Carnivora